Magic Christmas cookies

This holiday is celebrated in the midst of New Year's festivities, so everything that does not "leave" on New Year's Eve in our stomachs, not just Christmas cookies, is put on the table. Is that the kutya is being prepared anew. However, it depends entirely on the traditions of a particular family. Someone and a festive cake bakes.

But Europeans give the liver a much more important role. This is a symbolic souvenir, something like the Easter cake, which friends and relatives and just familiar people exchange to signify that the great happiness of Christmas came to Earth. Small cute yummy cheers, cheerful people and snowflakes decorated with glaze, spicy aroma of spices and nuts - that's how an original Christmas cookie should be.

The season begins in late November, as soon as the last pumpkins of Halloween are removed from the streets. In each city a Christmas fair opens , where housewives and entrepreneurs offer a special Christmas cookie. So, in Austria, shopping stalls do not close even for a minute until the Christmas Eve, delicious sweets do not have time to spread on the trays. It is customary to buy several types of cookies and package it in a beautiful metal box - this is considered a traditional gift for Christmas.

By the way, true connoisseurs of traditions do not allow even small sweethearts to taste Christmas cookies before the 25th day. Like a gift under the tree, it waits for its time. Therefore, the recipe should preserve the flavoring qualities of the baked goods and delight the smell with a spicy scent.

Here is the recipe of the Austrian Christmas dessert called "Cinnamon Stars": 3 eggs, 150 g of powdered sugar, 250 g of almonds, 10 tbsp. Flour, sugar vanilla (sachet), almond essence - 0.25 tsp, ground cinnamon - 1 tsp.

Christmas cookies are prepared as follows: almonds are fried in husk and grinded in a blender. You can also use a rolling pin and grind the nuts manually. From the eggs, the proteins are separated and whipped into a foam with powdered sugar. Part of the mixture will go to the glaze - it is put off. In the rest add almonds, cinnamon and vanilla sugar, essence, mix the flour. Ready dough put in the refrigerator for half an hour. Then, on a surface sprinkled with flour, a layer 0.5 cm thick is rolled out and the cookie is squeezed out with a mold - sprockets (in this case). Bake at a temperature of 180 degrees until the appearance of a golden crust, then cover with glaze with the addition of dye.

But we like Christmas cookies in the form of "ginger males". To make them is also very simple: 450g of flour is taken 2 tsp. Baking powder, 2 tbsp. Ginger, 2 eggs, 175 grams of sugar cane and 175 g of butter.

So, the oil is softened slightly and whipped with sugar until the consistency of the cream. Stir in eggs, flour and other ingredients. Similarly, cool the dough, putting it for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Further roll out the layer, only thicker (up to 3 cm) and cut out little men. Preheat oven to 180 degrees and bake cookies until golden brown. You can decorate them with sugar glaze, you can make eyes or buttons from raisins and chocolate chips.